TEA chief urges support for EPISD school board removal

AUSTIN -- Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams on Wednesday told a group of El Paso leaders to not just tell him they support his decision to strip the EPISD school board of its powers but to share those thoughts with the federal government.

Williams in December began the process of replacing the seven elected trustees of the El Paso Independent School District with an appointed board of managers after he said a districtwide cheating scandal caused them to lose the trust of the community they serve.

The commissioner's decision must still get past a few hurdles. It was appealed by the school board at the state level and is awaiting a final decision from a Texas Education Agency hearing officer. If his action is upheld at the state level, it must then be cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice because the federal Voting Rights Act requires the state to receive federal approval before replacing an elected school board.

"I'm not going to lobby but I am getting ready to lobby," Williams said to city leaders who told him they stood by his decision. "If you haven't already informed or advised DOJ of your thoughts I would ask you to do so and ask you to encourage others to do so."

Williams added, "The thing that makes this quite unique in TEA experience is that rarely has the commissioner made a decision such as I did that has community support for it. This is very, very different."

EPISD school board President Isela Castañon-Williams could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but district officials last week told the TEA that they should be left in office.

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Commissioner Williams delivered his comments to community and business leaders who were in Austin this week meeting with legislators as part of an event planned by the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. More than 70 El Pasoans broke up into groups and met with lawmakers and state leaders on issues such as health care, education and transportation.

The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 31 sent a letter to trustees saying it did not support the school board trustees' attempts to fight their removal. The chamber also asked the three trustees who will not face re-election until May 2015 to resign.

Richard Dayoub, president and CEO of the chamber, which represents nearly 2,000 members of the private sector in El Paso, said he plans to send a letter to the Department of Justice this week.

Dayoub said taxpayers elected trustees to do a job that they have not done.

"This is about the children and our teachers who are one of our greatest resources, support them -- you've done nothing to support them," Dayoub said. "Step down and let the leadership come in and take over and turn things around and restore faith. That's what this is about."

The Department of Justice last week told the Texas Education Agency that it will not issue a decision until after the state hearing officer rules on the removal of the school board. A decision from the state hearing officer is expected March 6.

"We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has agreed with our position that the Texas Education Agency's request for preclearance under the Voting Rights Act was premature," Castañon-Williams said in a news release.

After the state's final decision, the Department of Justice has 60 days to make a ruling on the appointment of a board of managers, but the decision could come sooner. "We have a reason to believe that much of the work that they need to do to make the decision has already been done," Williams said.

Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.